ACT FIVE

Later on that night...

Sam was asleep on the couch and Dean was fast asleep below him. Angel and Asa took the other side of he room to rest. Angel was fast asleep as well until she awoke to a rustling noise. She opens her eyes, wipes her face, and looks over to see Castiel standing in the kitchen waiting for her. She checks on the boys and carefully slips out of Asas arms to join him in the kitchen.

She rose a brow to the angel, "The hell are you doing here?"

Castiel keeps his stony expression, "Excellent job with the witnesses."

She scoffed at him, "You knew about all this?"

He motioned his head, "I was, uh, made aware."

"Seriously? And, what, you just sat back and watched it happen? People died, Castiel. Hell, i almost got my freakin heart ripped out of my chest and choked out."

He shrugged, "But you didn't."

"Aren't you supposed to, i don't know, guard us? Look out for us? Not just watch us get slaughtered." She crossed her arms, "You know i really wasn't expecting Angels to be such assholes. I had higher expectations than that."

He glared at her, "You wear a cross around your neck… Read the Bible. Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

"Soldiers fight." She challenged, "Why didn't you?"

"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns."

"Concerns?" She repeated defiantly, "Seriously? YOu know how many people, good people, died because of these Witnesses? Oh, and by the way, my brother made a good point earlier. Where the hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?"

"There's a God. You shouldn't let your brothers affect your faith in Him."

"Maybe they make more sense, huh?" Castiel looked away from her, irritated, "Because if He was around what the hells he waiting for? We're sitting ducks down here being slaughtered by war, diseases, freakin monsters and hes where? Sitting on a throne in heaven?"

Castiel took a breath, "The Lord works-"

"Oh do not say in mysterious ways. Just don't. That's a load of bullshit and even you know that." Castiel threw his hands up a little in exasperation at her and Angel studied him, "So what? Was Bobby right about the witnesses being a sign of the apocalypse."

"That's why we're here." Cas nodded, "Big things afoot."

"Do I want to know what kind of things?"

"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals."

"66 seals?"

"Those seals are being broken by Lilith."

Realization hit Angel, "Right. Of course. She did the spell. She rose the witnesses."

"Mm-hmm." Castiel nodded, "And not just here. 20 other hunters are dead."

"Of course. She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would barrel right after us."

"Lilith has a certain sense of humor."

"Well, we put those spirits back to rest. That has to count for something right?"

He shook his head, "It doesn't matter. The seal was broken."

"What's so important about these seals anyway? Why does she want them broken?"

"Think of the seals as locks on a door…"

Angel nodds, thinking, "Okay… she breaks open the last one and opens what?"

"Lucifer's cage." He steps up to her and looks her dead in the eye, "He'll walk free."

"Lucifer?" Angel breathed out in shock, "Like… Lucifer Lucifer? He's a real freakin thing?"

"Three days ago, you weren't sure if i was a real thing. Why do you think we're here walking among you now for the first time in 2,000 years?"

Her throat became dry and she held a look of shock on her face, "To stop Lucifer."

"That's why we've arrived."

"But you failed on this seal right? So what's that mean?" She scoffed, "Lucy's coming home for Sunday dinner?"

Castiel glared hard at her, "We tried. And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost." Angel laughed sarcastically and Castiel glared harder, "Our numbers are not unlimited." He stepped up to her, "Six of my brothers and sisters died in the field this week. You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here." A moment of awkward thick silence stretched on as they stared each other down, "You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in."

Before she could react Castiel vanishes, leaving Angel alone in the kitchen to ponder his threat. Before she new it she was jerking awake from the spot she slept in earlier. The boys and Asa were already up and about. Asa walked over and sat a cup of coffee next to her as he took a seat and studied her face, "You okay?" Whe she didn't answer he pressed, "Babe, what's wrong?"

Her brothers turned to study her face at that and she stiffened, "Okay… so Sammy, i know you and Asa don't really have a problem believing in God and Angels and stuff like that right?"

They looked at each other before turning to her oddly, "Not really…"

"And Dean… you're starting to get on board?"

"Well… all the signs are pointing it out so i guess… maybe." He looked her over confused, "Why?"

"How do you three feel about believing in the devil?"

"The devil?" Asa repeated, "Like Lucifer?"

"The one and only…"

Sam shook his head, "Why are you asking all of this?"

She took a deep breath and delved into everything that Castiel told her.